Wire rack



July 12, 1938. THOMAS AL 2,123,837

WIRE BACK Filed March 17, 1937 INVENTO 13 NormnMTkomas arrallAflennes eyPatented July 12, 1938 u-Nirso STATES 2,123,837 'WIRE RACK Norman M.Thomas, Brooklyn, and Carroll A.

Hennessy, Syracuse,

N. Y., assignors-to Joe Lowe Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof Delaware Application "March .17,

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of making' containers, and ithas particular relation to a spaced wire rack '.of an improvedconstruction whichis suitable for receiving and supporting a pluralityof cylindrical open-top molds designed for/use in making frozenconfectionery products.

':An o'bjectrof the invention is to provide a suitable rack of open,spaced wire, construction which is exceedingly light in Weight anddurable in construction, and which is very simple and inexpensive'tomake.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a spaced wirerack'which is open throughout to'permit the free. circulation ofrefrigerant therethrough to. allsurfaces of the molds contained therein.I

A further. object of the invention is to provide ansuitable spaced wirerack for use in manipulating a plurality of open-top cylindrical moldssimultaneously throughout various manufacturing operations, and which iscapable of maintaining saidumolds in a fixed, upright-"position at alltimes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack of 'the characterdescribed which is suitable foristac'king one-upon the other; and

Other and further objects and advantages of the improved apparatus willbe apparent from the following description, wherein a preferred form ofembodiment of the invention is shown, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rack constructed in accordance withthe principles of the invention; a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and alsoillustrating, partially in section, the position of a cylindricalopen-top mold mounted in receiving and. supporting position therein;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the apparatus taken along the line3-3 of Fig. 2, and illustrating the position of a plurality of molds ofthe type shown in Fig. 2 in supporting position therein; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational View of two racks, viewed similarly to therack of Fig. 3, and illustrating the manner in which the racks may bestacked one upon another.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a net-like rack of spacedwire construction II], which is substantially rectangular in shape andconsists of a top frame I i, an intermediate frame l2 and a bottom frameI3 secured in spaced vertical and parallel relation upon uprights l4spaced 1937, Serial No. 131,539

perimetrically thereof. The uprights M are joined to the top frame I Iand the bottom frame I 3 by looping ends thereof about the framestructures, and the uprights I4 are joined to the frame l2 byspot-Welding or other suitablemeans at'each point of juncture.

The corners of the rack Ill are reinforcedby upright posts I! ofhair-pin shape, having looped ends l8 projecting above the top frame II.The posts I! are secured to the frame l2 by bending the free endsthereof about the side members thereof, and are spot-welded or otherwisefastened to the top frame II at each point of juncture. The projectingloops'l8 extending above the top frame II at the corners of the rack lprovidemeans engageable with the bottomframe l3 of a similar rack, asbest shown in Fig. 4, for facilitating the stacking of a plurality ofsuch racks lllone on top of another.

The top frame 'H is "provided withubail-likeends, which have acentrallydepressed portion 23. This depressed-portion 23 provides easy access tothe inside of the rack for the insertion or Withdrawal of the open-topcylindrical molds :24 therefrom, which are provided at each end withhorizontal handles 25.v In-the event a plurality of racks ID arestacked, as shown in Fig.4, oneon top of another, and it is desirable tomove the entire stack, the depressed portion 23 also affords suitablehand gripping facilities intermediate the ends of the stack for pullingor sliding the stack of racks from one place to another.

The intermediate frame I2, which is secured tothe uprights l4 below themedian plane of the rack I0, is provided with an internal supportingframe structure of lattice-like construction formed by a plurality oftransversely spaced longitudinally extending rods 26 secured to theopposite ends of the frame l2 by any suitable means such as bending theends thereabout, as indicated at 21, and by a plurality oflongitudinally spaced transversely extending sinuate rods 28 secured tothe opposite sides of the frame l2 in like manner, as indicated at 29.It will be noted that the sinuations of the rods 28 extend vertically ofthe rack I0, and are looped over the rods 26, as indicated at 3|, atwhich points of juncture they are soldered, spot-welded or otherwisesecured to the rods 26, thereby forming a plurality of longitudinallyextending semi-circular cradle-like troughs 32 between the rods 26 ofthe rack [0. Obviously, any number of such troughs may be provided bymerely increasing the size of the rack or the number of longitudinallyextending rods 26.

A transversely extending straight rod 33 is mounted on the sides of theframe l2 and under the rods 26 thereof a short distance from each end ofthe rack. These rods 33 are spaced on the frame l2 a distance equal tothe length of the molds 24 to be deposited in the rack 10, and, as bestshown in Fig. 2, engage the ends of the mold 24 and prevent anylongitudinal movement thereof in the rack ID. A second transverselyextending horizontal rod 34 extends parallel to the rod 33 on the framel2 between said rod 33 and the ends of the rack II]. This second rod 34,however, is mounted on the sides of the frame 12 at each end of the rackl0 above the rods 26 to which they have been fastened by spot-Welding,etc. at the various points of juncture. These second rods 34 are adaptedto engage the horizontal handles 25 of the mold 24, as best shown inFig. 3, to prevent any rotation or tilting of the open-top molds 24 inthe rack l 0.

Although we have only described in detail one modification which ourinvention may assume, it will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that other modifications may be readily made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of theappended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A net-like spaced wire rack of the character described consisting incombination of substantially parallel rectangular top, intermediate andbottom frames, said frames being connected and secured in spacedvertical relation by uprights spaced perimetrically thereof, saidintermediate frame having spaced longitudinally extending rods securedto opposite ends thereof and spaced transversely extending sinuate rodsmounted vertically of the rack and secured to the opposite sidesthereof, providing a lattice-like supporting structure having aplurality of transversely spaced parallel semi-circular cradle-liketroughs extending longitudinally thereof for receiving and supporting amold, said rack having means mounted on said intermediate frameadjacentits ends and extending transversely of said troughs for engaging theends of said molds to prevent longitudinal movement thereof.

2. A net-like spaced Wire rack of the character described consisting incombination of substantially parallel rectangular top, intermediate andbottom frames, said frames being connected and secured in spacedvertical relation by uprights spaced perimetrically thereof, saidintermediate frame having spaced longitudinally extending rods securedto opposite ends thereof and spaced transversely extending sinuate rodsmounted vertically of the rack and secured to the opposite sidesthereof, providing a lattice-like supporting I structure having aplurality of transversely spaced parallel semi-circular cradle-liketroughs extending longitudinally thereof for receiving and supporting amold, said rack having means mounted on said intermediate frame andadjacent the ends thereof and extending transversely and horizontally ofsaid troughs for engaging the handles of said molds to preventrotational movement thereof.

3. A net-like spaced wire rack of the character described consisting incombination of substantially parallel rectangular top, intermediate andbottom frames, said frames being connected and secured in spacedvertical relation by uprights spaced perimetrically thereof, saidintermediate frame having spaced longitudinally extending rods securedto opposite ,ends' thereof and spaced transversely extending sinuaterods secured vertically to opposite sides thereof providing alattice-like supporting structure having a plurality of transverselyspaced parallel semicircular cradle-like troughs extendinglongitudinally thereof for receiving and supporting a plurality ofcylindrical molds, said intermediate frame having means spaced from theends thereof and extending transversely below the horizontal planethereof for preventing longitudinal movement of said molds in said rackand likewise having transversely extending horizontal means above thehorizontal plane thereof for preventing rotational movement of saidmolds in said rack.

NORMAN M. THOMAS. CARROLL A. HENNESSY.

